Vehicle engines are covered by a hood and, in some cases, an engine cover. The hood may provide limited protection for an impacting body form to the engine by elastically and plastically deforming to absorb energy.
In one example, a substantial portion of energy from an impacting body to the hood of the vehicle may be directed toward the engine. The hood may deform toward the engine and thus absorb a limited amount of the energy from the impact. However, a substantial amount of unabsorbed energy may stroke into the engine.
Accordingly, a need exists for structures to absorb energy during hood deformation toward the engine of the vehicle.